Sense & Sensibility : Introducing Mrs Brandon
by brandy01
Summary: Oneshot. We all know how the Jane Austen classic first novel goes, and how it ends, but what happened after? Written as a tribute to Colonel Brandon.


A/N – This is my attempt at writing a Jane Austen fan fiction, just because she is one of my favorite authors. I have based some of this story on the movie produced by _Ang Lee_ in 1995, and am sincerely sorry about any mistakes or anything I have done wrong with the old English grammar system. I am obviously no Jane Austen – Brandy.

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Sense & Sensibility –

Introducing Mrs. Brandon

Mrs. Christopher Brandon, much like any new wife in the country had settled easily with the friendly atmosphere and most amiable company of her sister and friends all nearby. It was fortunate indeed that the former Marianne Dashwood had consoled herself for the loss of her first love, Willoughby, by instead gradually giving her whole heart to her husband. In time, she found that the company of the Colonel did rival that of John Willoughby, and that their passions were somewhat parallel.

Marianne had not been at Delaford for a month when Brandon was called away on business, and she was left to do everything there at her own leisure. A lot of the time she spent practicing on the Broad-Wood Grand Piano forte that she had been promised by her husband, or paying visits to Elinor. She had been delighted to discover that Elinor was already with child at her last visit, and the two sisters wrote quite frequently to each other, and their mother.

The youngest of the Dashwood Girls, Margaret, had long been in town with Mrs. Jennings and her party for the summer courtships. Marianne knew as well as the next person who was acquainted with Mrs. Jennings that the woman in question would not rest until she had found a suitable and wealthy young man for young Margaret.

And so it was the afternoon before Marianne's husband was due back from London, which Elinor appeared and was greeted immediately by Marianne, who had been awaiting a visit from her elder sister. Elinor had been escorted to the main house by Mr. Ferrars himself, as he was acting the part of the paranoid husband ever since the announcement of her pregnancy. Finally seated in the Library, the two sisters' were left with some peace to talk.

'Now you must tell me, how is the child?' inquired Marianne eagerly as they sat with their books in hand.

'Wonderful Mari.'

'And you seen the Physician, he said that everything was occurring precisely?' she pressed. 'It would be wonderful to be with child, I imagine. If only Christopher had not been called away…'

'It is unfortunate indeed, sister. He has been in town for many months already,' returned Elinor in melancholy for her younger sister. 'Have you received any word of when he is to return?'

'I was told yesterday by Mr. Palmer that he would be back on the morrow.'

'The Palmer's were here?'

'Yes, they were just returning from London with their boy William,' Marianne said as she supped her tea. 'Showing him of all the diversions, I imagine.'

Elinor left soon after, and Marianne was left to contemplate just how early it would be when he beloved husband returned from business in the morning as she endeavored to obtain some rest. It was near middle-morning when the carriage did arrive, and Marianne went to greet her husband with all haste. Their reunion was most affable, and it was not until in the privacy of their quarter's, that they afforded to disregard all propriety and greet each other properly and with a higher sense of passion than formality.

In the tight embrace of the Colonel, Marianne finally found her solace, and told him so, swelling his heart with love. As it had once been, the Colonel had been the singularly interested party, while Marianne's fancy's had been elsewhere, but in the privacy of their room, she pampered him with the love she had denied him their first meeting.

'Christopher, I was beginning to think you would not return,' Marianne whimpered melodramatically. 'I tired very soon of my own company.'

'You will not be in want for company any longer. I intend to stay here for quite some time, and shall take you to London with me in future,' Colonel Brandon promised his wife. 'I too, missed your company.'

'Elinor came to the house yesterday, and asked when you would return. She is with child, Christopher!'

'Indeed?' he questioned in return. 'Then perhaps we should consider it about time to begin our own family?'

Marianne could not have blushed a deeper shade of red at these words. The subject was postponed for the time being, and the couple retreated to the library so that the Colonel could relay to her of what he had done in town. Colonel Brandon, after ending his tale, could not see to keep his eyes off his beautiful wife. He had missed her more than mere words could ever express, and was most overjoyed to be back at his estate to rectify the mistake he made by going ahead with business.

He had indulged her with everything she had asked of him, and towards the end, could bear no longer to be away that he ended his trip prematurely and headed for Delaford – to his wife. Their reproduction had been in his thoughts constantly, and it seemed that Marianne had no objections to such a thing.

'-and Margaret is in London, did you see her?' Marianne continued.

Brandon returned from his thoughts, only hearing the last of her words and barely comprehending them. 'I beg your pardon, my love, but I did not hear your question,' he admitted awkwardly.

'Did you see my sister Margaret and Mrs. Jennings in town?'

'Unfortunately, I did not. My business there prevented me from any leisurely activities, and I became quite tired of it.'

'Pity, I am persuaded Margaret would have been delighted to see you there,' Marianne said as she took her seat at the Piano and began to play a cheerful tune. 'Will you play with me?'

'Of course, my love.'

Brandon took the seat to her left and played along with her. The Colonel had become quite consistent in calling Marianne his love, if only to remind himself that she was indeed his love and wife. They played companionably until it was time for supper, and they relocated to the dinning room. While eating their dinner, Marianne made a summarized recount of what had been in the everyday activities while he was in town, and again voiced to him exactly how she had missed him while he was away.

When they finished dinning, the Colonel led his wife with him to their rooms overlooking the largest lake on the estate, and convinced her into a reasonable state of undress, wooing her in the way he should have been the months that had already passed. To his great surprise, there was no struggle with his wife as he wrestled to remove all of her garments, and even more so when she assisted him in the removal of his own cumbersome attire. That night, he proved to her physically just how much he loved her with all of his heart, conveying the conversation about the prospect of children with his contact, and encouraging her to desire them furthermore.

Marianne could not recall a time when she felt more loved, even in the brief amount of time where she had regretted Willoughby's love, when Christopher spoke to her as such. Wonder crossed her expression when she thought about how she could have possibly questioned or underestimated the strength of Brandon's feeling for her. A better husband would have been a difficult thing to find, and she was more than content to spend the rest of her life with this man.

oO0Oo

Elinor, in her late state of pregnancy had been moved to the manor house on the Delaford estate of Colonel and Marianne Brandon during the autumn months. Margaret Dashwood, the youngest sister of the three, had returned from London with Mrs. Jennings just weeks before, and who had been at the estate for just two days with her escort and young male friend, Mr. Philip Thompson, the son of Lord Philip Thompson of York. Colonel Brandon had returned to Somerset briefly to settle an account with the grudging owner of a fine brown mare, and had returned to his wife not two days afterward only to have her hurdled into his embrace fiercely once they had retreated to the privacy of their rooms.

'Marianne, my love, I have been gone but two days,' Christopher argued against the strangling confines of her arms.

'Oh! But I have wonderful news, Christopher!' Marianne all but squealed excitedly as she released her husband from the death-like grip. 'Philip has proposed to our Margaret, just last evening!'

Brandon sat on the nearest settee and beckoned his wife to join, and once they were seated, he saw fit to speak of his gladness at such a wonderful occurrence. 'I am delighted that your sister has found such an amiable gentleman to marry, and I will wish them every happiness in the morn.'

'I have other news.'

'Well do tell Marianne, I do not like to anticipate it if it is news of a bad sort,' Brandon returned to her offhanded comment.

'Oh no, Christopher, it is not bad at all. It is wonderful news indeed that I should be able to inform you that you shall be a father,' Marianne announced, letting propriety slip to naught and allowing herself to communicate to him her joy with her lips pressed to his own.

'Marianne, I could love no other woman, for you have made me the happiest man alive, first by becoming my wife, and a second time when you tell me that you are to bear our child,' he proclaimed honestly and with such devotion that only every woman could ever wish for.

Shortly after, the two returned to their party of guests, including Elinor and Edward Ferrars, to announce the good news of their expectancy. Margaret and Elinor soon crowded around Marianne as the Colonel welcomed and accepted the congratulations of both Edward and Philip. He expressed his well-wishes to Philip and Margaret sincerely, before all returned to their rooms for the night.

As Marianne assisted Christopher Brandon, her husband and only love, out of his travel clothing, she could think of but one thing. How extraordinarily fortunate it had been that her father had died, leaving them with barely a thing. If it had not been so, she would never have been introduced to her Colonel, nor had the chance to be heartbroken, or the chance to be healed again by a man that loved her without a care in the world of her financial state or her behavior towards him in their earliest encounters.

Mrs. Marianne Brandon was a happy and loved young woman indeed…

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Notes – And so, that is the end of my attempt at a Jane Austen one-shot for her first novel, Sense & Sensibility. I hope that anyone who read it enjoyed it, and believe me when I say it was so hard not to be able to describe any of their "intimate" moments or at least a proper description of their hugs and kisses. To all of the Alan Rickman fans out there, I would like to say that I wrote this with him in mind. He is a brilliant actor, and my favorite of all time. I have been writing an original fiction on Alan Rickman and his meeting the woman of his dreams set in the time when he stared in "Love Actually" and hope to post it soon on the Petulant Poetess site in Original Fiction. Keep on reading, and a big thanks to all who read and review. I hope that any Rickman fans will continue to read my HP fan fiction – Brandy.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 – Australia


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